


The Son of My Father

by greenshi



Category: Dimension 20 (Web Series)
Genre: Crossover, Trans Character, Trans Male Character, and fabian needs a positive role model in his life gdi, pete is everyones big brother
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-10
Updated: 2019-11-10
Packaged: 2021-01-27 03:33:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21385396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greenshi/pseuds/greenshi
Summary: Pete and Fabian talk about themselves and the people in their lives.
Comments: 5
Kudos: 97





	The Son of My Father

Pete leaned over the railing of his apartment balcony, staring into the starry sky above him. It was much darker than the sky in Nod, but that just made the few points of light scattered up above easier to focus on. The moon was halved by shadow, but the half that remained glowed a dull white. Pete breathed in the night air, cold and still. His eyelids were heavy and his body ached with the work of the day before, but his mind would not let him sleep just yet. In the haze of exhaustion, Pete didn’t notice the younger boy joining him until he was right beside him.

“I see you’re up as well.” 

Pete looked over at Fabian Seacaster, the strange half-elven boy that had appeared a few days prior. Him and all of his weird friends had arrived in New York from a different world, summoned here for unknown reasons. Pete had been working with Esther to try and send them back home, but so far they’ve had no luck. Most of the kids had been staying with Kingston or within The Order of the Concrete Fist with Sofia, but somehow Fabian had ended up staying with Pete. 

“Uh, yeah…”

They sat in silence for a moment. Despite not knowing him for very long, Pete knew that something was up with Fabian. His usual confidence and poise had been drained from him, leaving him quiet and small. Fabian wasn’t looking up at the sky, but rather down at the streets below as the lights of businesses and cars flickered and moved. Occasionally, he would glance towards Pete for just a split second before looking away again. 

“...So, uh…” Pete mumbled, trying to start a conversation. Despite helping some of the kids he ran into back at his job, he still didn’t quite get how to talk to teenagers without selling them something.

“That’s...that’s a cool scar you’ve got there.” Pete finally said before internally slapping himself. Really, you’re going to make this kid talk about the eye he lost? Great going, Pete. Fabian finally looked up at Pete’s face before looking away again just as quickly. A hand absentmindedly adjusted the eyepatch he wore.

“Ah, well, thank you. And...”

Fabian looked over long enough for Pete to follow his line of sight. Fabian was looking at Pete’s bare chest.

“You too. You’re scars, I mean. They’re cool.” Fabian stuttered out, looking slightly...embarrassed? Nervous? It was hard to tell in the dark. Pete looked down at his chest, face softening just a bit.

“Oh, yeah, thanks. I got these a few months back...uh, you know what they’re from, right? Do you guys have, like, advanced medical stuff back in, uh...Sol-whatever?”

Fabian let out a short and quiet laugh at Pete’s forgetfulness.

“Solace. And yes, I’m not stupid, I know about top surgery.” 

“Alright, cool, just making sure.”

The conversation slowed. Fabian opened and closed his mouth a few times, as if he wanted to say something but wasn’t sure how. He looked down again, and Pete realized that Fabian wasn’t looking at the street anymore, but at his own chest. 

“When...I didn’t have to go for any surgery for my chest. My father was quite rich, you know, and he knew so many great and powerful people. He found me this wizard who could transmute my chest without leaving any scars or anything.”

Pete’s eyebrows rose. 

“That sounds awesome. Not that I don’t love what Dr. Lugash did for me or anything, but man, just being able to magic it away would’ve been cool.”

Fabian nodded, and his shoulders relaxed. He didn’t seem completely better, but it did look like a weight had been lifted from him. 

“Yes, it was nice.”

A small smile came over Fabian’s face, and he continued to speak. 

“I remember when I told my father, he was so proud. Once I told him my name, he would always yell it out to whoever was around, just to make sure everybody knew. It became a force of habit, always saying that I was Fabian, son of William Seacaster, his darling boy…”

The smile fell slightly as Fabian talked about his father. He touched his eyepatch again, adjusting it a bit, before continuing.

“Even I started doing it after a while. Fabian Aramais Seacaster, son of Bill Seacaster. It was the first thing out of my mouth, before anybody could say anything else.”

“Your dad sounds cool.” Pete commented.

“He was. Still is, I guess. He’s taking over Hell, last I checked.”

“Dope.”

Pete yawned and stretched as his tired body became stiff.

“Yeah, my dad...He came around, eventually. He started off as a dick, but then I killed him by making bubbles come out of his mouth, but it turns out he wasn’t dead and was doing all kinds of freaky-”

Pete paused, remembering that he was talking to a child. Well, a teen, but still. 

“...freaky dream stuff. Anyway, it taught him a bunch of stuff, and he started, like, respecting me for who I am, finally. My family’s still a bit of a work in progress, but they’re getting there.” 

Fabian listened intently as Pete spoke.

“And...you’re friends all know, right? You told them?” Fabian asked.

“Oh, yeah, they know. I met them right after my chest finished healing, actually. During that time I was like, man, I paid so much money to be able to be shirtless, I’m never wearing a shirt again. So, like, they saw the scars and put two and two together without me having to explain it to them.” Pete explained. Fabian looked slightly disappointed, but understanding.

“Oh. I...I haven’t actually told my friends yet. I met them after I already transitioned, and I could never think of a great time to bring it up, or if I even want them to know, so I was hoping you could’ve given me some tips.” Fabian said. 

“Well, they’re your friends, right? You could probably just let them know super casually and it’d be fine.” Pete suggested.

“I mean, I could, but that feels too...I don’t know. Like, when Kristen came out to us, it was fine, but that was right after she figured it out. I’ve known for so long, so telling them after being friends with them for over a year now, would seem so...random? Like, why bring it up now, and not earlier.” Fabian ranted, shaking his head slightly. He started to look even more troubled than when he first came out onto the balcony. Pete thought for a moment.

“Well...it’s not like you can change what you have or haven’t said in the past, right? Trust me, if that was possible, I’d be back there changing a lot of my decisions. But, since we can’t do that, we just have to try and make up for them now. I’m not saying not telling your friends was, like, a mistake or anything, but if you want to change it, now’s the best time. I mean, maybe not right now, since they’re across the city and probably asleep, but, y’know, soon.” Pete explained. 

Fabian paused, looking off into the middle distance, thinking about what Pete had said.

“...You’re the first person I’ve told, actually. Aside from my family, that is.” Fabian mumbled. 

“Thank you for the honor.” Pete said, only joking a tiny bit. 

“I just...I don’t really know any other trans people. Like, I know there's a few other trans kids at Aguefort, but I don’t really know them that well. I heard a rumor that this one freshman I know, Torek, was trans, so I could maybe talk to her. But I don’t know her that well, and we have this, like, antagonistic rivalry thing going on, and that’s not great for feelings talk, so, y’know.” he rambled.

“Antagonistic rivalry, huh?” Pete said teasingly. 

“It’s not like that.” Fabian chastised. “Anyway, I saw your chest when we first arrived and thought that maybe I could talk to you about all this crap I’ve been keeping to myself for all this time. ‘Cause, y’know, you’d get it.”

Pete smiled to himself. He placed a gentle hand on Fabian’s shoulder. Fabian tensed at the sudden touch before looking up at Pete and relaxing again. 

“Fabian, I want you to know that I’m probably the least qualified person here to be giving advice. But, despite that, I want you to know that I’ll be here for you whenever you need to talk, okay?”

“I’m not very good at talking. About emotions and whatnot, I mean. The only reason I’m doing it now is because I’m too tired and stressed to stop myself.”

“I feel that.”

Fabian yawned and fully leaned onto the railing, shaking off Pete’s hand and resting his head on his arms. He struggled to keep his eye open as he started to succumb to his exhaustion. 

“I...Gods, I can’t remember the last time I spoke about my feelings or whatever. With my father, it was always adventuring this and heroism that, and it’d feel weird to bring up to my friends out of the blue. Maybe...maybe I’ll finally talk to Jawbone when we get back…” Fabian mumbled, more so to himself than to Pete. Pete did listen, though.

“Hey...why don’t we continue this in the morning, okay? You look like you’re gonna pass out.” Pete suggested. Fabian just nodded lazily.

“Yeah...Goodnight, Pete.”

“Night, Fabian.”

As Fabian wandered back inside, Pete remained outside for a while longer. The thoughts that had kept him awake in the first place had gone quiet, leaving him with just a sense of...something. The same something he felt while protecting Nod all those months ago, and the same something he felt whenever he introduced the kids at the bookstore to the Dream Realm for the first time. This sense of pride and care for the people he could help, despite what he had done in his past or what people had said about him. With that, Pete finally went back inside, leaving the night sky behind him.


End file.
